LighT: Litigating change – Training lawyers on the EU rule of law acquis
The LighT project is a timely and targeted intervention in the 5 EU Member States with the most pressing rule of law problems: Greece, Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland and Romania. Recognizing the leading role of lawyers as custodians of the rule of law and the protection of the fundamental rights of European citizens, the project will train 345 lawyers and 30 trainers following a participatory, interactive and transnational approach. The trained lawyers acting as multipliers will acquire the skills to become agents of change in their countries. The training workshops — Train the Trainers, Introductory, and Advanced — have been successfully completed in Greece, Hungary, Poland, Romania, and Bulgaria extensively relied on the EU Charter and the related case law.
The project is implemented by the Center for European Constitutional Law – Themistocles and Dimitris Tsatsos Foundation, in collaboration with Akademia Leona Kozminskiego (Poland), Center for the Study of Democracy (Bulgaria), Tarsadalomtudomanyi Kutatokozpont (Hungary) and Asociatia Pro Refugiu (Romania).
A total of 430 lawyers participated in the trainings, which included:
Train the Trainers (TtT) workshops: These sessions aimed at equipping trainers with the skills and knowledge to effectively deliver training on Rule of Law (RoL) principles.
Introductory Training workshops: Designed to equip lawyers in practice with the basic knowledge necessary to handle cases of Rule of Law interest, in the thematic fields specified including litigation before the European Courts, these sessions covered fundamental concepts and principles, ensuring participants have a solid foundation.
Advanced Training workshops: Designed to provide advanced training and empower a critical number of lawyers in the participating countries to become guardians of the Rule of Law within their jurisdictions, these specialized sessions offered in-depth knowledge on specific RoL issues, catering to legal professionals seeking to deepen their expertise in areas such as human rights, European law, and anti-discrimination policies.
Participants feedback
Throughout the trainings, participants highlighted the value of the case studies presented and analyzed. Here are a few comments from the evaluation questionnaires that reflect their experiences:
"The practical cases and their reference to European law and human rights, including discrimination issues, were particularly useful."
"The in-depth case studies allowed for a comprehensive understanding and contextualization of complex legal principles."
The overwhelmingly positive feedback underscores the importance and impact of these educational initiatives. Participants' active engagement and enthusiasm reaffirm our commitment to fostering a robust Rule of Law through targeted and high-quality training sessions.
We extend our heartfelt gratitude to all participants and partners for their invaluable support and collaboration in making these trainings a success.
For further information, please contact Sara Hungler at hungler.sara@tk.hu.
Grant Agreement number: 101046313 — LighT — JUST-2021-JTRA
